National Republican., 1887-08-25
TEMPORAL LPowERorTuE POPE
The Question Presented From the
Church,s Standpoint.


23d OF May last. In this allocuton the
holy father. after having expressed To
the Sacred College his satisfaction at the
result Of the negotiations 30 long pendtng
with view to the religious pacilcation O'
Germany, In the paternal love ot his heart.
which embraces all nations, addressed g.
Italy noble words, dictated by his apps
tolic solicitude, hy the sincere desire Ot
peace, aud with the hope of touching, Ia
some sort, those who, refusing to enter on
the path Of Just and lawful reparatlou,
constantly maintain Italy In an iDsensate
conflict with the papacy, and deprive her
of It's salutary influence. The august
voice Of the head of the church has made,
as he intended It should, profound i'm
preston upon the Italians; aud, while It
has reused lively desire to put an end to
an intolerable state of things, fatal to all,
and desired only by that section OF men
brought up to hate the church, 1t at the
same time brings to light the caIunuious
character OF the repeated assertions OF those
men that the sovereign pontiff is the per
petuai enemy Of Italy; that Italy, which
has always found In the papacy the most
important factor Of Its secular grandeur,
its most powerful guarantee, aud Its m)st
sure safeguard. The enemies OF peace are
those who, in spite OF history and all pa
ternal traditions, have thought to elevate
the national editce on the ruins OF the p.-
pacy. They have not dreamed that this
edilce, placed outside Of Its natural cen
ter, will, sooner or later, crumble away.
In order to render the papal alocution bar
rem Of effect they have applied themselves
to tllstorting the meaning OF the friendly
invitation Of the holy father, soliciting Italy
10 make reparation for the violation or
Justice and the offenses against the inde.
pendence and dignity OF the holy and apos-
tolc see. They have made 1t appear tina
this signifies nothing less than the ab licat
tion by the sovereign ponti of those su-
preme rights which neither he nor his sue
cessors will ever abstain from reclaimlug.
In the Italian parliament, as your lord.
ship will have seen from the journais, a
question was lately proposed by the Deputy
Dovio Which would have the effect OF ex-
cludiDg any idea of an approachment
towards the holy see, and the ministers of
the crown, Ianardelli and CrIspi, have
also, though in more moderate and pol
ishtd language, affirmed that Italy has no
need 10 seek reconciliation with the
papacy, and that, while observing the
laws, they are not disposed to admit such
an approach, to the prejudice OF tho pre-
tended rights Of the nation and with the
intervention OF foreign powers In oppo.
sition to comments so absurd and afilrma-
tions so futile, and TO place in It's true
light the meaning OF the pontiiical word,
in order that public opinion should not be
led into error, especially In foreign coun-
tries where It Is difficult to understand all
the artifces which 1t is customary for the
adversares Of the holy see to make use Of
In misrepresenting its Intentions, beg to
call the attention of your lordship to the
following observations, which you will sub
init to the minister OF foreign affairs.
In the first place, 1t is hardly possible to
conceive that people are to be found who
seriously suppose that the holy father, In
expressing his desire that these fatal
differences may cease as long as the dig
nifty and independence OF the holy see are
secured, had some hidden intention of
abandoning the claims Of the temporal
sovereignty Of which he was despoiled by
violence simply because In the short pas
ssge Of his allocution, where he alludes to
Italy, he has not explicitly mentioned this
claim. In order to attribute to the pom
tifcal words so absurd n meaning 1t is
necessary to exclude the past and recent
| acts of the same pontiff, who has repeatedly
| published the solemn declaration OF the
| episcopate, which represents the unani'
| nous voice OF the Catholic Church, that
| the temporal power of the Roman pontil
| is an indispensable condition for the free
exercise OF the apostolic ministry. Again,
| Il will needful to call attention to the fact
| that the conditions attached by the holy
father to the desired reconciliation are, eX
pressly, the reparation of violated Justice
| and the restoration Of such powers as II
necessary for the independence aud dignit,
OF the apostolic see, and by these conditions
he claims, In the most unequlvocal manner
| his rights over the temporal domains.
In effect, how can justice ever prevail Il
the pope Is not restored to his incontest
able rights In the temporal Sovereignty
rights founded upon the most legitimate
and sacred OF titles9 For there is no prince
who, like the pope, can claim his Temporal
sovereignty by possession OF more thar
twelve centuries, founded upon the spon'
taneous ccssion of the deserted people, tn,
donations Of pious princes, and by constant
claims upheld by treaties that 1t Is the sacred
and iEyiolahle patrimony Of the church
sanctioned by all states and nations who
| have always considered the temporal power
of the Roman pontiT necessary bulwark
for the independence OF the apostolic chat
in the propagation of Its doctrines and th'
free exercise OF its ministry, as well a.
against domination aud oppression OF any
kind whatever; founded, In fine, upon the
services rendered, not alone to Italy, but Il
all other nations, who principally owe tC
the papacy the civilization they enjoy and
| their liberation from numerous barbarian
invaslons. These titles and many others
the Justice OF which the holy father ha
set forth in his allocutlon, are so evideu
that they cannot be destroyed by the ha
bitual argument OF pretended national
right; for this so.called right of nationaltie
is not only positively unknown to the cod
which regulates the reciprocal relations OF
nations, but, when applied to constltu
tional states, 1t becomes cause OF uni
yersal trouble and revives the era OF thu
barbarian conquests of the empire, accom-
plished by material force such as that b,
whose aid the holy see was despoiled at
moment when Europe was prey to con
vulsions. 1t is not true that the indie
Of the church and the dignity OF the SOY
ereign pontiff ia sassured as far as necessary
without the only elllcacious guarantee o
temporal sovereignty. 1t does not neet
great perspicacity to comprehend that tn
sovereign pontiiT In his see, depriy ed OF hi
true and proper territorial sovereignty, Il
always the subject of another power solel.
and principally sovereign, aud, conse
quently, whatever the shadow of libert.
and independence, It is revoea6le by tn
power who has accorded II; In fact 1t Is al
ways violable and illusory.
The attain the object OF the independence
OF the Roman pontif which Is to make hin
free and unfettered, not only as regard:
himself, but also as regards the world, Il
has been recognized that his spiritual powe
must be removed from all interference and
moral and material pressure of any othe
power. In fine, the Roman pontiff, having
been invested with the highest dignity
cannot innuentially and advantageous!
exercise his spiritual jurisdiction over NOR
than two hundred millions OF subjects o
all races and Of all classes, including anon!
these many who enjoy sovereign preroga
tiyes, without being surrounded by tina
external splendor which Providence &C
corded to him when the different nation
rose from the bosom Of Christianity on tn
ruins Of the Roman empire. The pope
not being sovereign In his see, fnds him
self continually exposed to humiliation
unworthy of his rank. Among these mus
be considered that he has to take for hi
household, coupselors, auxiliarles and co
| OpeTatOrs of all kinds indispensahle, for th